Stories & Donors

Whether you have had personal experience with a disorder, want to honor the memory of a loved one, are interested in scientific inquiry, are a grateful patient, or are a member of the dermatology family who wants to help, there are numerous ways to support the vital work of Department in areas that are of concern to you and your family.

Personal Experience: Locks of Love
For Madonna Coffman, nothing could be more personal than the life-altering disease that affected her little girl.  Alopecia areata, which causes permanent hairloss, affects millions of people in the U.S.  Mrs. Coffman founded Locks of Love to provide custom-fitted hairpieces to children who suffer from hair loss. In addition to dealing with the effects of alopecia areata, Mrs. Coffman is determined to find a cure.  Locks of Love has provide $750,000 to the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery to research this disease in the hope of finding a cure.  The Department hosts an annual symposium on alopecia areata where leading scholars come to provide the most cutting-edge data and give feedback on our research.

One of our residents donating her hair at the first Locks of Love Symposium

Pursuit of Scientific Inquiry: Brian V. Jegasothy Basic Science Research Award
Dr. Manjula Jegasothy (residency class of 1998) and her family chose to endow a Basic Science Research Award in honor of her father, Dr. Brian V. Jegasothy to ensure that vital basic science research is supported.

Brian V. Jegasothy MD was widely recognized as a pioneer in the basic science research of dermatology. In order to make true breakthroughs in melanoma, lupis, psoriasis, and other debilating and incurable skin-related diseases, molecular and celluar  skin science research must be done. Unfortunately, this type of research does not enjoy the financial support that cosmetic-oriented and industry-sponsored research does. The Jegasothy family's gift will provide an annual award to an outstanding researcher to ensure that high quality, ground-breaking work is encouraged and supported.

The Jegasothy Family (Manoj Jegasothy, Esq, Juliet Jegasothy, M.D., S. Manjula Jegasothy, M.D.)
and Lawrence Schachner, M.D.presenting the first annual
Brian V. Jegasothy, M.D. Basic Science Research Award to Tongyu Cao, Ph.D.